You Don't Have to Love Me
by KHLostEmpress
Summary: One-shot of the Month: March 2017; Prompt: "It's okay. You don't have to love." The present sometimes mirrors the past, but that does not mean that history has to repeat itself. Zenjirou reflects on memories and enjoys spying on Hayami and Hotate. And Hayami...Hayami struggles.


Author's Notes: I'm not 100% sure I got the characters right, but it was good practice for the story I do want to write about them. I will continue to improve! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little ficlet.

I couldn't find an official name for Hotate's mother. (That or I couldn't figure out the kanji that they were using). So, I made one up.

Fandom: Yamamoto Zenjirou to Moshimasu

Prompt: "It's okay. You don't have to love me."

* * *

"It's okay. You don't have to love me."

Zenjirou stopped walking. His hands clenched into fists as he heard Hikaru's words. It felt like his heart had dropped in his chest. He ached to turn around and plead with her. To let her know how false that was. It was never about him not loving her. It was the fact that she was young and beautiful and frail. While he was a freak in the eyes of her family. What's more a _poor_ freak.

And loving him could kill her.

Thin arms wrapped around his waist. They were so small sometimes he felt he could break them without trouble. Zenjirou knew Hikari didn't have a strong body. It was likely that it couldn't handle having children. And it didn't matter how careful they would be. If they chose to be together, to become family, the possibility would exist. He knew she should leave before he hurt her.

Her head rested against his back. "Please don't leave." Her tone was pleading, almost desperate. He gazed up at the sky unable to stop his hand from resting on top of hers. If he turned around, if he looked at her, his will would crumble. Zenjirou could feel it crumbling already.

A lump formed in his throat. This wasn't right. He should leave. "They're right," he choked. "You could die." The thought was unbearable. Hikaru was too precious to lose. Even for him, who understood death better than most.

He could feel her shake her head against his back. Hikaru's voice was thick as she spoke. "I would trade a thousand days without you to be by your side for just one." She lifted her head but did not remove her arms from around him. "What does it matter if I die anyway?" she cried. "You would be able to see me, so we could still be together."

Zenjirou's eyes slide shut. He didn't have the heart to remind her that, for the most part, ghosts only lingered if they had some kind of regret. He hoped when she died, it would be free from those kinds of chains.

"Zenjirou, I love you. If that is my fate, I will die in the knowledge that I spent my days happy with you. Please, Zenjirou," she pleaded. "Let us be happy together."

His shoulders sagged. How could he deny her when she was right? Inevitably, they would be sad either way. Either they would be sad now when they parted or they would be sad later. It was only a possibility that she could die. It wasn't a certainty. He couldn't see that far into someone's future. And if they were going to be sad no matter what they did, why should they deny themselves the happiness now?

He turned in her arms, causing her grip to finally loosen. She didn't go far because he cupped her cheeks in his hands. Leaning down, he kissed her.

* * *

"It's okay. You don't have to love me."

It took Zenjirou a moment to realize that those words had been spoken by his daughter and not a memory. He looked up from where he was fixing the roof. Hotate was trailing after Hayami across the yard. Sensing an interesting conversation was about to take place, he kept quiet so he could spy on them. If Hayami knew he was listening, he'd never get to see anything good.

"Hotate, what gave you that idea?" Hayami didn't stop walking. Even from this far away, Zenjirou could see the fond exasperation on his face that defined his relationship with Hotate.

Hotate wrung her hands in front of herself. "Well, it seems like you've been avoiding me lately. Is it because I can see ghosts?" she blurted in a rush. Her bottom lip tucked underneath her teeth as she dropped her gaze.

Now, Hayami stopped and whipped around to face Hotate. His eyebrows lifted. "Why would you think that?" he asked. "If you've forgotten, that's the reason we met."

A noise distracted Zenjirou for a moment. He glanced behind him to see Makoto and Ume climbing up to the roof. "Anything good happen yet?" Ume whispered as she settled down beside him. She was grinning at him. Ume was, for the most part, more than willing to follow along when he teased Hayami. Makoto sat on her other side.

Below them, Hotate dug her toe into the ground. "That's usually why people avoid me," Hotate answered in response to Hayami's question.

Rolling his eyes, Hayami scoffed. "Trust me, klutz. Seeing ghosts is not the issue."

"Then, what is wrong?" Hotate asked. She reached out a hand to place it on his arm. "Why—"

She cut off when Hayami shifted away from her before her hand could make contact. "Don't touch me!" he snapped. "I don't want you in my thoughts."

Tense silence fell over everyone. Zenjirou could see both Makoto and Ume turn their heads toward him out of the corner of his eye. He folded his arms across his chest. Hayami yelled at his daughter all the time but never like that. Never that harsh. Because he knew how much Hayami cared about Hotate, for now, he would let this play out. If only because of the look on his face the moment the words left his mouth. It was full of horrified realization wrapped in regret.

Hotate wilted. It seemed like her whole body sagged under the weight of Hayami's words. She pulled her hand back and clutched it to her chest. Her head dropped, hiding her stricken expression behind her hair.

Hayami opened his mouth before he snapped it shut again. A frustrated growl left his mouth as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hotate, that wasn't…" he started to say. He trailed off as he seemed to struggle to explain.

Zenjirou couldn't hear what his daughter said next, but he did see her lips move. Whatever she said caused Hayami to stiffen. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open.

Hotate turned away from him. But she only took one step before Hayami reached out and snatched her wrist. He pulled her back, spinning her around back towards him. His free hand cupped Hotate's cheek before he all but smashed his lips down onto hers.

Zenjirou lifted his eyebrows at the sight. As far as he knew, Hayami had never kissed Hotate before. Ume let out a low whistle. "Who knew Hayami had it in him?" She leaned toward him. "You're not angry?"

"No," Zenjirou answered. He felt happy for Hotate. And more determined than ever to make sure Hayami never found out that they were spying on them. He entrusted his daughter to Hayami a long time ago. As far as he was concerned, that still stood.

Hayami pulled back. His face was flushed red. "That's the problem," he stated. "Got it?"

Hotate's face was the same color as a tomato. Her eyes were wide and almost looked at Hayami like she was seeing through him. Her head bobbed up and down in short nods.

"Well…good." Seemingly unable to come up with another proper reply, Hayami turned and stalked away. After a few seconds, Hotate stumbled after him.

Zenjirou was thoroughly amused by the whole conversation. Spying on Hayami was always a treat. Or he was amused until Makoto commented, "I wonder what he was thinking about that made Hotate turn that red and flustered."

Perhaps it was time he had a little talk with Hayami.


End file.
